Albert Hayward was born in Plymouth on 1 May 1912, the fifth of seven sons of Thomas Alfred Hayward (q.v.) and his wife Lucy Maud.  His father, a Stoker Petty Officer, was lost in HMS E30 in Nov 1916.

Albert joined the Royal Navy as an Artificer Apprentice in Aug 1927 at HMS FISGARD, at that time at Portsmouth, and moved with it to Chatham in 1930.  After a year in the aircraft carrier HMS FURIOUS as an ERA 5th Class, he joined HMS DOLPHIN (spare crew) in May 1933 as an Acting ERA4. 

During the next six years he served in HMS H43, OSIRIS, SEAHORSE and UNDINE before joining HMS TRIAD in July 1939.  Based at Rosyth, HMS TRIAD undertook a series of successful war patrols in the North Sea and Skaggerak during the Spring of 1940, and ERA2 Hayward was awarded a Mention in Despatches in June 1940, one of fourteen operational awards to the officers and men of HMS TRIAD.  In July 1940 he was promoted to Acting Chief ERA.

In August 1940, HMS TRIAD transferred to the Mediterranean.  On 15 Oct 1940, off the coast of Calabria,  HMS TRIAD encountered the Italian submarine ENRICO TOTI and was sunk with all hands.

Albert Hayward married Violet May Ball on 12 Aug 1933 at St Augustine, Plymouth.

Albert’s eldest brother, Cecil Alfred, also served in submarines, reaching the rank of Chief Stoker, and died in 1976. Two of his other brothers were killed in action during 1941, one in HMS CARLISLE and one in HMS NEPTUNE.  All three brothers and their father are commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.